Howie Mandel Chats 'America's Got Talent,' OCD

By Nicki Gostin Posted Jun 13th 2010 11:00AM

Howie Mandel has been very busy. The 54-year-old stand-up comedy veteran became hot all over again hosting 'Deal or no Deal.' Last year, he wrote a New York Times best-seller, his alternately hilarious and bracingly-honest memoir 'Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me,' touching on his often crippling obsessive-compulsive disorder. Now he's back on TV as the new judge on 'America's Got Talent,' replacing the formidable David Hasselhoff.

Mandel chats with PopEater about the state of his OCD, filling the Hoff's shoes and what he really thinks of the vicious Piers Morgan.

"Hi," says Howie when I pick up the phone...

I love the way you say hi like we're old friends.
Well, we are, we've been talking for seconds. I feel as if I know you.

Well, I don't know if you remember, but I did interview you before.
Oh, I don't remember ... but on the phone, you look familiar.

You're the new judge on 'America's Got Talent.' You've got some pretty big shoes to fill. You're replacing the Hoff.
I'm not trying to fill his shoes. I look at it like I'm replacing Brandy, and Hoff just held the position 'til I was ready.

Is it hard being so judge-y?
Yes, very hard, but fulfilling. It's an amazing job for me. I've always loved talent; I've always loved watching it. I embrace and love the fabulous kind of talent as much as I love the "oh-my-god-I-don't-believe-this-is-real" kind ... and if you want to put the word talent with it, you can. I love all of it, the good and bad. Just the audacity to get up in front of a group of strangers and do what you do fascinates me. I feel like after 30 years on stage myself, pursuing and marketing and trying to make my way and navigate through this career, I feel I have something to offer. I also feel like I have an incredible amount of empathy for those people, but ultimately I'm honest.

Do you get along with Piers and Sharon?
Sharon is a neighbor, so we can carpool.

You carpool with Sharon?
I do. It's a very green show.

Neat. So how about Piers?
Piers ... we do get along, but I think he finds me incredibly annoying and knowing that and just seeing the seed of that makes me dig even harder. He shouldn't have let me know that, because I can imagine it's going to come to blows. I imagine I will get slapped or hit by the end of the season.

What's the deal with 'Deal or No Deal'?
They're airing new episodes now and I've not heard what the future is.

What happens if it doesn't get picked up?
Who are you? The glass is half empty? I never think like that. If you ask me on any given day what I'm doing tomorrow, I don't know.

Is your OCD better?
No!

Not at all?
On certain days. As we speak, I'm in very good therapy and on medication. I'm OK at the moment. You and I aren't in the same room. I love this whole Internet thing. I love social networking. I can feel very social and amongst a large group of people without touching anyone.

Your kids are older.
Not older than me.

What happens when they get married? You'll have to kiss a lot of relatives and friends.
I don't kiss. I kiss my wife and kids. That's my circle of friends.

Handshake?
No, no, no! I do the fist bump. I can hug. That's outside the clothes. I wouldn't hug a nude person.

What's your worst symptom?
I have repetitive rituals. Checking doors, counting things, the cleanliness thing isn't even the worst of it. It's a big deal, it's a nightmare, but everyone has got a little cross to bear and that just happens to be mine. Life is great, I'm functioning, my career is good, I have a great family.

And your wife is a saint.
Absolutely. She deserves something. I think her gift is me being on the road and going to work. The gift that keeps us going is me going, "Bye!"

Have you got a self-flushing toilet?
Yeah, I've got a very futuristic toilet. It's all hands free. Not only self-flushing, the seat goes up. There's a washer and dryer.

You must love it.
It's not so much love as a necessity. Now I know why they call it a throne. I feel like such a king. It beckons me.

Do you wear a crown when you're on it?
I think once you shave your head a tiara doesn't work.

Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook

Tags: Americas Got Talent, Howie Mandel

Comments

(20)

Sunday 13 June

By Phyllisa Doyer

Vote down Vote up Report this

America's got talent according to two Brits and a Canadian. Is it just me? Something just not right with this format.

By gobluespartyon

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

That is wrong Todd not to watch the show just because there not American judges on the show. I doesn't matter to me what country there from.

Monday 14 June

By Romance4u

Life is so lonely. Are you looking for w ealthy men and sexy women for relationship or marriage?
Maybe you want to check out ==== AffluentSingle(CO/M) ====. It's the largest and best club for seeking CEOs, athletes, doctors, lawyers, investors, entrepreneurs, beauty queens, fitness models, and Hollywood celebrities. It also features certified m illionaire and verified beautiful women. What’s the most important is: you dont have to be a m illionaire, but you can meet one. I believe you will success there since I have found my true love there last month! Enjoy the Wrold Cup with others there!

By Gandalf

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Howie doesn't have to worry about "filling" the Hoff's shoes. He is SOOOOOOOOOOO much better on AGT! I love it!

By Michael

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Mr Mandel should learn how to work as a team member not "leader". His jokes are disgusting, tasteless. Piers is a really perfect leader, Howie should listen to him. Unfortunately, Hoff's problems left him behind this show..

By PN

I saw Guy Fieri's Minute to Win it game show on NBC this spring, it's already been renewed and I want to know, what does Howie feel about this? His Deal or No Deal would have been on a 5th season in the 2009-2010 season. I feel he's been blackballed by NBC, that they dumped his primetime edition of the show just to show Guy's silly, corny show. Howie looked hungry to do a 5th season. The syndicated show is good, but it's NO CONTEST to the primetime show, and the over the top approach and high tension filled music. I hardly or seldom even watch it. I wish him the best on America's Got Talent.

I have always liked Howie Moandel he is very funny.

By Jake

I totally agree with Michael.....June 13, 2010. Howie has too, too much to say. Really like Sharon and Piers....they are great at their job.

By Dean

A no talent phony like Mandel judging someones talent.What a joke.

What a joke, a no talent phony like Mandel judgung anything.

By Bv

These negative people and negative replies by negative people who need to get a life!

By LARRY

Bv, There just telling what"s on there mind, Chill out !

By Donna

I have always liked Howie, hes a funny man, and he actually cares about others.
So many people in his business, should take some lessons from Howie.
I wish him all the very best of luck.

By MARK

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

To me Howie is ruining the show he alway"s has to tell a joke that is not funny, He doesn"t fit in.

By Megan

I love Howie on it. I could never stand the show before but now he and Nick Cannon crack me up. I think it was a great move.

By glenda miller

Hurray for Howie,,he keeps the show interesting,love his jokes,
Sharon and Piers are also great,fresh new face is what we needed

By dfhdskjfhkjd

╭══════════════╮
h t t p : / /w w w . d ea r s a le s . c o m
╰══════════════╯
h ave s o m e ch e a p t hi ngs ...( Jew erly...)

n i k e s h o e s , f a s h i o n c l o t h e s ; b r a n d h a n d b a gs , w a l l e t ...

I f y o u t h i n k o u r w e b s i t e i s g o o d , y o u c a n p u t t h i s w e b s i t e t o b o o k m a r k s o r o t h e r p l a c e s , e a s y t o f i n d ...

By Apostate

Howie Mandel is suddenly a relevant pop culture personality...Good for him,I guess,but I'm not sure the rest of us are half as excited as he thinks we are.

Saturday 14 August

By grama

I cannot believe you chose the air band to go to Hollywood and sent the street people home. Air band is ridiculous, gross, not funny or entertaining. Any idiot can stand up and make a fool of themselves. The street people have talent.

Thursday 12 August

By Evalea

That geek magician (that's the real name for that kind of magic) owes Howie a huge apology. Howie has some VERY serious OCD and phobic issues and people act like he should "just get over it!" Don't you think he would if he could!? Throwing that dental floss on Howie was tantamount to puking on him! I mean if a performer knew that Sharon was deathly phobic about frogs then came out and threw a bucket of them on her to close their act do you think she'd be laughing like she did at Howie?! She was incredibly heaetless to his pain. People without OCD and phobic conditions have no clue. And like I said " JUST GET OVER IT", is so thoughtless and cruel to the suffers. BTW I have dyslexia pretty badly so it took me awhile to make sure this was as right as possible. And yeah, I can't just get over it so please excuse any mistakes I may have made.

Page 1 of 1